LSU rallies from seven-run deficit to avoid first-round NCAA tourney upset
With an undisputed flair for the dramatic, LSU picked a fine time to record the fifth double-digit scoring inning in its 230-game NCAA baseball tournament history.
After trailing third-seeded Kennesaw State 11-4 in Friday night's NCAA first-round Hattiesburg Regional game, the second-seeded Tigers exploded for 10 eighth inning runs and escaped with a 14-11 victory over the American Sun Conference champion Owls.
It was the first time since 2003 in a 20-5 win over Baylor that LSU had an NCAA tourney double-digit scoring inning. Also, the Tigers' 10-run eighth was the most runs ever scored so late by LSU in an NCAA tournament matchup
According to LSU stats historian Todd Politz, LSU's comeback was the Tigers' second largest deficit overcome in a game after seven complete innings since 1925. In 1988, LSU trailed Ole Miss 13-3 after seven innings and won 15-10 in the 10th.
The win advanced LSU to a 6 p.m. winners bracket game Saturday night vs. top-seed and host Southern Mississippi (45-16), a 2-0 winner over fourth-seeded Army Friday afternoon.
"A lot of people talk about character and culture and competitiveness and that was all of that on display," LSU first-year head coach Jay Johnson said. "I’m really proud of these guys for sticking with it.
"We can do stuff like that. Just two weeks ago at Vanderbilt, we were down 6-0 and ended up winning 21-10, The care level is there and the belief level is there for these guys and we have the ability to do it."
LSU center fielder Dylan Crews delivered a two-RBI double in the Tigers' massive double-digit rally to give the Tigers a 12-11 lead.
“Honestly I’m just still in shock of what just happened," Crews said afterward. "When you’re down by that much and all of a sudden you’re just able to string hits together and then look at the scoreboard and you two and one runs away from tying the game."
Until LSU’s unforgettable eighth in which it had seven of its game-total 13 hits, the Tigers (39-20) led only once at 2-1 in the second inning on Crews' RBI single.
Kennesaw State (35-27) responded with 10 runs in next three innings – a pair of four-run innings in the third and fifth sandwiching a two-run fifth – as reliever Jake Myers settled in after being tagged for a two-run homer by LSU right fielder Brayden Jobert in the bottom of the third.
Myers, who normally is in the Owls’ starting rotation, struck out seven LSU batters and gave up six hits and five runs throwing 109 pitches in 5.1 innings. He was pulled after 23 pitches when he gave up RBI singles to third baseman Jacob Berry and left fielder Josh Pearson and a run-scoring double to shortstop Jordan Thompson at the start of the Tigers’ 10-run eighth.
Devin Fontenot, the Tigers’ second of three relievers, gave his team a fighting chance when he held Kennesaw scoreless in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings retiring 9 of 10 batters including four consecutive strikeouts at one point.
“I think I was mechanically and mentally right tonight," Fontenot said. "I just wanted to give our team a chance.Coming into a ballgame like that, if I don’t do well, we don’t win. I knew I had it in me and I just wanted to perform the best for my team.”
Seven of Kennesaw’s nine position starters had at least a hit, led by leadoff hitter center fielder Josh Hatcher. He was 3 for 4 with an RBI, scoring four runs and setting the tone for the Owls when he ripped Hilliard’s sixth pitch of the game for a double.
KSU shortstop Tyler Simon, hitting immediately behind Hatcher, drove in four runs with a two-run homer in the fourth and a two-run double in the fifth.
But in the end, a seven-run lead wasn't enough.
"We’ve had some situations in the past here where we’ve had trouble finishing games," Kennesaw coach Ryan Coe said. "We try to pile on as much on as when we can and that’s why we stayed aggressive offensively throughout the game. We try to score as much as we can to widen the gap and give us a cushion for the end of the game.”